


One Foot in Front of Another

by jesseofthenorth



Series: Where I've walked [3]
Category: Avengers (Comic), Marvel 616, Marvel Avengers Movies Universe
Genre: Angst, Cussing, Family, Kid Fic, M/M, mention of minor gore, some mention of child in peril
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-09
Updated: 2012-04-09
Packaged: 2017-11-03 08:32:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/379392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesseofthenorth/pseuds/jesseofthenorth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Third installment of the self indulgent kid fic. Tony fights the good fight, to keep Connor safe. This is what it took to keep him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Foot in Front of Another

It didn't take long for social workers to start throwing themselves between Tony and the boy, or trying to at least. Tony wasn't moving.

At the hospital he held the kid against his chest while the doctor very gently examined the crying child and some officious cow was spouting bullshit about 'the best interests of the child'. Instead of telling her to fuck off Tony just whispered in the little boy's ear “It's okay now. I'll keep you safe.” 

While an orderly and a nurse took the, once again, screaming child out of Tony's arms and wheeled him into another room for x-rays ('Just to be sure' the doctor said) Tony stood in the hall and tried not to punch holes in the wall, doing his best to tune out the extremely annoying civil servant yapping at him.

He thought he deserved a medal for keeping his mouth shut. It wasn't something he was normally very good at. Biting the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood seemed to be helping.

Steve came then, wearing his khakis and plaid shirt instead of his uniform, a bag with a change of clothes for Tony clutched in one hand. He didn't ask questions or tell Tony what he should do or ask him to explain. Steve just stood with a hand on Tony's shoulder and waited.

The social worker was soon joined by another. They both started to talk at once but their timing was a little off, they started talking as soon as the orderly wheeled the boy out of the x-ray room. Tony was even less interested in what they had to say, when faced with a tiny tear stained face and hitching sobs that were tapering off into hopelessness. Tony remembered the feeling, the moment when you realized there was no point in crying because no one was listening.

Tony didn't hesitate for a second just scooped the kid up and started whispering in his ear again.

“Mr Stark! What do you think you are DOING?” the lady from CS demanded all affront and offense as if he were doing something unspeakable. 

She stepped forward as if to stop him and walked right a the solid wall of Steve Rogers.

“ I believe this is what is known as comforting a crying child, Ms. Rhames” Steve told her and followed her movement when she tried to step around him.

It took her minute to catch on to the fact that he wasn't going to get out of her way. Steve stood his ground and she eventually stepped back, scowling as the boy snuggled into Tony, pushing tiny tired sobs into his chest.

After a few minutes the boy was settled back on the gurney and Tony held his hand all the way to the room in pediatrics that was waiting for him. Steve stayed right behind them. 

When Tony refused to leave the boy alone the two social workers disappeared in a flurry of disapproving glares.

A nurse brought a little plastic bracelet for the boys wrist and when she puzzled over what name to write on it Tony said “Connor” and she wrote it down with out hesitating.

Steve and Tony sat and watched while Connor fell asleep.

“Tony. Call your lawyers.” Steve told him when all was quiet.

Tony looked at him a moment confused then nodded once and did as Steve suggested.

“I don't want him getting dumped into the system. He's been through enough,” Tony said quietly into his phone. Followed by the magic words “ I don't care what it costs.”

After a couple of hours Ms Rhames came back with more social workers, and a couple of cops. The cops were more than a little hesitant to start ordering Iron man AND Captain America around. The social workers had no such hesitations. Ms Rhames began to stridently demand Tony's removal. She was clearly quite shocked when Tony stepped toward the door. 

“Don't want to wake him up” He said quietly nodding toward the boy, now sound asleep in the bed. 

Ms Rhames had the good grace to look a sheepish. She shut up until they were in the hall outside the room.

“Mr Stark I am sure you will agree it is in the boys best interests to let us handle this from here on out.” She said, clearly waiting to for him to meekly acquiesce. 

It's like she had no idea who he was. Tony stark had never done anything meekly in his entire adult life, least of all back down, from anything. 

“No ma'am I do not agree.” he said and looked at her waiting.

“Well,” she said, the belligerent set returning to her jaw “It doesn't matter if you agree or not. The boy is a ward of the state and as such he is my responsibility. I am afraid it is out of your hands.”

Tony's smile turned a little smug when a voice behind her said “Not so fast Ms Rhames.” 

The stunned look on her face alone was worth the small fortune he was going to pay for the sheaf of papers being handed to her by one Tony's favorite pet sharks. 

“He is not a ward of the state until legally declared so. This is a formal petition for Mr Stark to become guardian ad-litem for the minor Person In Need of Supervision known as Connor.”

Tony let her sputter at the lawyers and went to peek through the door and make sure Connor was still asleep.

 

He stayed the night. The fuss died down, the suits all left, even Steve disappeared for a couple of hours. Tony used the intervening quiet to try to give himself a good talking to. 

_“What the hell are you doing Stark?”_ he muttered to himself, under his breath. _“This is going to make a mess all over everything. Give your head a fucking head a shake.”_

It didn't really do much good. The little fingers clutching his thumb, the blond curls resting on the pillow, the memory of this little person sitting in a puddle of congealed blood crying hoarsely for his mama, killed any rational response. 

He had to do it. He had to keep this kid a safe as possible for as long as he could. No matter what it cost. Tony hoped it wouldn't cost him anything really important. People already thought he was nuts so he didn't care about that, but god if Steve-

“Stop that.” Steve said from directly behind him.

Tony jumped and clutched his chest. “Jesus Rogers, warn a guy!”

“Sorry” Steve said, guilt creeping across his face when he saw Tony's hand clutching the arc reactor. “ I just-. Don't do that. That thing where you start telling yourself how stupid you're being.”

Tony stared at him dumbly. How the hell did Steve even do that, know Tony so well he could tell what he was thinking from _behind_? It was probably a little creepy. It didn't matter though because all Tony could think or feel or do at this point was marvel at how lucky he was.

“ How are you so okay with this?” 

“ Okay with what? You wanting to do the right thing and make sure he's going to be safe? What am I supposed to do Tony? Give you shit for it?”

Tony's only answer was a crooked smile. He didn't really want to question Steve to deeply in case Steve decided to change his mind. Tony was already waiting for that all the time anyway, had been pretty much since they had started sleeping together. He wasn't inclined to press the point now.

Steve just shook his head sadly and moved in to crouch beside Tony's chair, positioning himself so Tony had no choice but to look at him.

“You are a good man Tony Stark. One of the best I have ever known. If you expect me to do anything but stand right beside you when you do something this amazing, then you _are_ out of your mind. In a lifetime of bad decisions for the right reasons, and crazy schemes cooked up in that good heart of yours. This is going to be the beast idea you ever had. I am NOT going to miss out on it.”

Tony was left staring again, while Steve quietly pulled up a chair, produced coffee and 2 homemade sandwiches. They ate their make shift meal in uncomfortable chairs, elbows and knees bumping occasionally and watched the boy sleep.

 

Steve woke up at dawn with a horrendous crook in his neck and Tony's drool all over his shoulder.

 

Pepper came with a suit which she promptly shoved at Tony with a sardonic “You know I am not your secretary anymore right?” before ditching him to go coo over how cute the kid was. Tony snorted but he couldn't really blame her. He was pretty cute.

 

His fingers were shaking as he knotted his tie and ran a hand through his hair again in the nurses lounge. He wasn't really sure what he had done right but the nurses on this floor were practically falling over themselves to help with whatever he needed. Up to and including letting him get ready for court in their cramped little lounge, away from prying eyes. 

He made a mental note to make sure something was done to improve the lounge on pediatrics. After they way he had seen all of the staff act towards the kids on this floor there was nothing he could think of that was too good for them. Maybe he'd build a whole new wing.

He stopped at Connor's room once before leaving for court. It was probably the only thing that would get him to leave at this point. He wouldn't go at all except all the expensive legal advice declared it absolutely necessary.

Even Fury threatening his ass over missing a debriefing wasn't getting him to budge. 

 

“Don't leave him alone for a second. Please.” Tony asked Steve earnestly. Looking at the way Steve's big arms wrapped protectively around the boy while at the same time holding one of the picture books Pepper had brought.

“Of course not Tony,” Steve said and smiled his most reassuring smile. 

Tony held Connors hand and said “I'll come back with lunch. Steve will stay here and read you stories. It will be okay. I promise.” Tony left before he lost his nerve. It wasn't because he doubted that promise because he didn't, he just didn't want to leave. He was going to make this happen no matter what, he would just rather be here than in a court room.

But. Regardless of how many snide remarks Pepper or his board of directors made to the contrary, Tony had long years of practice in sucking it up to get shit done.

****

Tony came back 3 hours late for lunch exhausted, carrying a bag of chicken nuggets, an armload of paper work and with a completely satisfied look on his face.

He could hear the laughter from Connors room as soon as he got near the door. Hawkeye's wide open boisterous laugh, Steve's pleased chuckle and a childish giggle Tony sincerely hoped belong to Connor.

He pushed open the door and stepped in, wondering what had them all laughing. There was Clint Barton, master sniper, crouched on the bed. Hawkeye action figure clutched in one hand and Iron Man in the other making them swoop and dive around complete with sound effects, to the immense delight of his audience, which apparently included one small blond boy, all the Avengers and Coulson. Tony should have known that it would be Hawkeye that would know just the way to a kid's heart. He was honestly not that surprised, but he was grateful for the sound of that laughter.

They all stopped to look expectantly at Tony when he came in.

“Well?” Clint asked.

Tony grinned and held up the small bag with the golden M on it. “I should have brought more lunch”

****

They kept throwing lawyers, and paper work, and social workers and piles of bullshit at him. But Tony had bigger, meaner sharks, with sharper teeth than then Social Service structure of the entire state. Also he was a stubborn asshole. He called in favors and jumped though hoops for weeks and months and it was starting to look like it would be years. Steve kept right on standing behind him.

The most surprising thing of all to Tony was the way the Avengers ended up standing with them. An immovable wall of support and faith that this was the best thing for a little boy who would be known as Connor Stark. They never questioned why, just took it for what it appeared to be and made a life for him.

Even after years of searching they never found out anything about the dead woman in the parking garage. Not her name or where she came from, or what she was doing there in the first place, or who had killed her. All there was to be found about her was an open police file, and a simple grave with the headstone Tony ordered inscribed 'Jane Doe – Mother of Connor.'

Tony took Connor there when ever he asked. Once a year, on the anniversary of her death, Tony went there on his own with a single dark pink rose. He stayed long enough to say thank you and tell her he was trying really hard to get it all right.


End file.
